MPs vote to strip Sinn Fein of allowances
MPs have voted to strip Sinn Fein MPs of £440,000 of allowances because of the party’s links to the £26.5 million Northern Bank robbery in December.
The four MPs will lose staff salaries and travel costs for a year but will be allowed to keep their Westminster offices.
It follows the publication of the Independent Monitoring Commission’s report last month on the Belfast heist, which received the backing of Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy.
The motion to suspend allowances for Sinn Fein’s four MPs for a year was passed without a vote.
Commons leader Peter Hain said the withdrawal of allowances reflected the “profound disapproval of this House” over the Provisional IRA’s and Sinn Fein’s continued party to criminality.
“In a place that cherishes the fundamental principles of democracy, it is indeed deeply dispiriting to have to impose penalties on members who have not lived up to those principles,” he said.
The Conservatives had wanted MPs to vote to withdraw all of Sinn Fein’s Westminster privileges, but their amendment was defeated by a majority of 188.
Shadow Commons leader Oliver Heald said: “In effect what we are granting them are rent-free, taxpayer-funded, fully-staffed offices which seem to be used for propaganda purposes.”
An amendment to make the withdrawal of privileges permanent was also defeated by a majority of 186.
Northern Ireland Chief Constable Hugh Orde and both the British and Irish governments believe the IRA carried out the Northern Bank raid, with Sinn Fein having foreknowledge of the plan.
The IRA denies it perpetrated the raid and the kidnappings; a view Sinn Fein says it believes.
Sinn Fein’s four MPs are Gerry Adams, Martin McGuinness, Michele Gildernew and Pat Docherty. They refuse to take the oath of allegiance to the Queen and are therefore not permitted to sit in the Commons or take part in debates and votes.
Mr Murphy also said funds would be withheld for a year from Sinn Fein members at the suspended Northern Ireland Assembly.
